Isolation returns

It was just a few months ago…

The world was put on a lockdown, an effort to intentionally isolate the human race in order to curb the scourge that is the coronavirus.  Strangely though, it felt as though the effort to isolate the human race actually raised inter-human communications to a much higher level, thanks to technology.

How many times did you FaceTime your family?

How many times did you have social gathering held over platforms such as Zoom, Google Meet-up or the likes?

I bet the level of activity in all your chatgroups also went up a few notches, or maybe you even started having regular whatsapp catch-ups with some friends whom you have not spoken to in ages.  And… people who usually takes ages to reply a single text… suddenly became rather prompt, did they?

Some claimed that the lockdown has given them a certain degree of stress, and pushed them outside the comfort zone where they have to do everything themselves.  A friend of mine was telling me his part time helper could not go to his place so he had to do all housework himself.

Isn’t it an irony that people are being pushed outside the comfort zone by being in their… “home”?

And of course, suddenly everyone is able to cook.  A wave of cuisine parade swept across social media, where people proudly showed their ‘product’ from the only trip that they can make during the lockdown… trip to the kitchen.

That was just a few months ago…

The word that has reversed all of the above is called… “normal”... while the term new-normal is floating everywhere as the new way of life.  However, it cannot be denied that normalcy is slowly but surely returning, or more specifically, the human race craves for normalcy to return.

Normalcy… lesser inter-human communications, no more online social gatherings that did not translate into more physical gatherings, don’t need to cook so much yourself, don’t need to do housework yourself, more time wasted stuck in traffic jams… you know what I am getting at.

Normalcy returns, “I am busy” or “I have no time” is back. Isolation has ended, and yet isolation has also… returned.

A discovery during my reconnection journey

Following my last entry, I have more or less combed through my email archive, communicated with a lot of people, some of you have graciously replied and it has been an awesome experience communicating with those who replied. Amidst the elation, I would nonetheless pause and reflect on an unfortunate discovery during this sentimental re-connection journey.

In the year 2008, 2 years after my Mom’s passing (which I blogged plenty about during the early days), I received an email from someone, telling me that he chanced upon my blog at that time, and it was 2 hours before his mother’s funeral service.  He informed me that he would recite a poem found in this blog as part of his mother’s eulogy.

I could sense at that time that he was lost for words, and I was glad that writings in this good ‘ol blog helped him during those grieving moments of his. We exchanged a few emails more than 12 years ago and of course, I would definitely be interested to connect with him again. 

He was someone from the other side of the globe, in the US.

As I was about to write to him, something tells me to just google his name, maybe I will find a FB page or LinkedIn, you know, the kind of online footprint that we all have these days.  It was through this step, that I discovered something tragic.

I did not find his FB or Linkedin. Instead, I found is obituary. He passed away unexpectedly April this year. He was described as someone with a huge heart and a deep soul, and he was younger than me.

It was indeed a very timely reminder during this eventful year that life is too fragile to be wasted away.  While we cannot realistically live as though there is no tomorrow (because reality doesn’t allow that), we ought to cherish every moment of our lives.

May we all pause at this moment, think of the loved ones that we have around us and bask in the gratefulness that life has given us.

And may this friend of mine (if I could consider him as one)…. rest in peace.

Just because it's home?

Migration or in a lesser context, move to work overseas seem to be the flavoured discussion at the moment.  MalaysianInsider even started columns where people wrote in to say why they leave and why they stay.

Anyway… one of the main reasons why people decide to stay, besides the usual good nasi-lemak, char-kuet-teow and bak-kut-teh (which was specifically mentioned by someone in that MalaysianInsider column mind you…) is that Malaysia, regardless of how bad it is, it is still our home.

I wouldn’t dispute that – the point on Malaysian being home, not on staying.  It is our home, no doubt about it.  We were born in Malaysia and spent most of our formative years here.  There will always be a “Malaysia” element within us. 

But… does that mean that you must stay?

Following this, I have a thought… though it only applies to Chinese and Indians.

If you are a Chinese or an Indian, and decide to stay simply because Malaysia is home… can you just pause for a while and imagine…

Imagine…

Imagine…

Imagine…

That your grandparent or your great grandparent decided to stay in China / India simply because China / India is home.  That no matter how poor or chaotic China was during those days, it was still home and your grandparent decided to stay.  That no matter how difficult it is to make a living in India during those days, it was still home. 

If your grandparent adopted this perceived noble mentality…

What would become of you…

… a Chinese who spits everywhere who you look down on?

… a cheap IT call-centre person in Bangalore?

… a masseur giving traditional Chinese foot massages in Jalan Bukit Bintang?

… living in the slum of Mumbai?

… a cheap factor worker in ShenZhen?

… appearing in those “Only in India” pictures that you forward to each other?

If your grandparent decided to remain in China or India simply because it’s home… really… what would become of you… today?

Updated:  While some have commented that we could also be the son of a property tycoon in Hong Kong, or the son of the coal tycoon in China or the son of the telecommunication tycoon in India... let us all be honest and admit that we are all glad that our grandparent did not choose to stay in China/India just because it was home.

1 year ago... The injury conversation

2 years ago... Non-civic smokers like these are morons

3 years ago... V for virginity, P for purity

4 years ago… A professional mistake

The teleo vs. deonto thinking

I have been doing quite a bit of reading lately and the above notion intrigues me a lot. Don’t be overwhelmed by those sophisticated terms. They are merely the processes our brains go through in making decisions.

Essentially, a teleological approach in making a decision centres on the consequence(s) of the decision.  You can call that a ‘result driven’ approach.  The what-is-the-benefit-of-this will be ringing in your brain.

The teleological approach is then segregated into 2 different components. 

The egoist teleological approach is the branch that focuses on the consequence(s) on the decision maker. You will only think about the consequence(s) to you, the benefits to you and you alone.  No benefits to you, no go.

The other branch is the utilitarianist teleological approach where the focus of the consequence(s) is on everyone else, probably people affected by the decision.  You will only make that decision if it benefits others.  Kind of like a selfless approach, isn’t it? 

The deontological approach in decision making is one that does not focus on the consequence(s), but the action of the decision itself.  Result doesn’t matter, the focus is on the process, the focus is on the action of the decision.  This approach too, is segregated into 2.

The first is the deontology with the “right” element.  “Right” here represents ‘privilege’.  Based on this, you will make a decision because you believe it is your God-given right to do it.  How it affects you or the people around you does not matter.

The other side of the coin is the “justice” element.  Here, a decision is made because it is the right (i.e. correct) thing to do, without considering whether there is any benefit.  One may conclude that this is the noble approach.

And now, to paint a better picture (apology for using a guy’s perspective)…

If you sex a girl with a condom because you are afraid of infectious disease… you are an egoistic teleologist.

If you sex a girl with a condom because you are afraid you will make her pregnant… you are an utilitarianistic teleologist.

If you sex a girl, with or without condom, because you believe your very existence is to f__k around, you are a right-based deontologist.

If you sex a girl, with or without condom, because the girl is your wife/bf and she was there naked and asking you to do it and you feel it is the right thing to do, you are a justice-based deontologist.

Now… what are you?  Tell me ok…

Off for a business trip… have a good week ahead.

1 year ago… Will you say the same thing?… Modern slavery anniversary reflection

3 years ago… Let us be reminded… The price to drive… A penis song

Walk talk

If you ask any Malaysians currently residing in Singapore – what is the thing that they hate most about Singapore, you will most probably get one common answer… “need to walk a lot lah…”

Using “poor public transport” as an excuse, many Malaysians evolved into car addict. Walking became secondary. To some, not owning a car (which is very rare in Malaysia) and having to walk means you are of the lower class.

Try asking a girl for a date and tell her you will meet her at the LRT station, see what reaction you will get…

I personally know a friend who said… “The only reason why I will not work in Singapore is because I can't stand not having a car”… Wow…the “only reason”.

Admit it, we are all car whores. Even if the Malaysian public transport system improves tremendously, many will sill drive. Being one where my car used to be less than 20 steps from my door, and it takes less than 5 minutes to walk from my parking lot to my former office… not being able certainly did worry me quite a bit…

But things took a twist…

As you know, I had ACL reconstruction surgery due to a football injury. I was bed-ridden for almost a week, with very limited mobility via the walking frame (not even the crutches). Only after a week, crutches came into the picture. And the crutches stayed with me for a month, with another week of limping before I can finally walk normally.

During that time… believe me when I say… I long to walk… when I finally can get up from my chair without having to get hold of my crutches and immediately take a step forward to wherever I want to go… it was joy beyond description.

We are so pampered by various means and we forget that walking is not a torture, or low class… it’s a gift. Ask those who are without limbs, and they will tell you they would love to walk rather than to be wheeled around in a chair.

Are you able to walk and complain about it?


2 years ago… Who thou seeketh in thy sadness?… Live your best life

3 years ago… The sponge and the dirty spoon

The root of the tragedy at the Std Cht Marathon

If you ran in the just concluded KL Standard Chartered Marathon or if you are a vivid facebook addict, you would have most probably read about a young man named Lim who passed away a couple of km before completing his 10km run.

What happened was Lim collapsed, he was then assisted by the writer of the facebook-note together with some other medically trained runners. While trying to preserve Lim’s life, they screamed for medical help but the Emergency Medical Services (“EMS”) was no where to be found.

And of course, in typical Malaysian style… and I quote the writer…

“… 3 DBKL officers (with big motorcycles) just stood by the road side and just stare…”

The EMS arrived after 15-20 minutes, when Lim barely had any pulse left. And again, in typical Malaysian style, the EMS ambulance had practically nothing in it. Maybe if you need some nasi-lemak or char-kuey-teow, you may find some. But if you want life-saving equipment in a supposedly life-saving ambulance… takde… mei you… don’t have.

You may wish to read full real life account of the incident here.

Comments flowed in to concur with the writer saying the organiser must take responsibilities, there needs to be more awareness, next year people should make health declaration before running, etc.

To me, all these pleas will only remove the symptoms, but will never cure the disease. The KL Stand Chart Marathon was also marred with some aspects of fiasco, and this year, someone died. But how come, the same Stand Chart Marathon that takes place in Singapore every year do not have such problems? After all, same organiser and same sponsors…

DBKL officers not giving a shit… slow EMS arrival… ambulance that cannot function as an ambulance… these are manifestation of a failed system, the result of mediocrity which has since been conveniently accepted by most Malaysians. And if you have been reading news, this is not the first time someone died because of poor ambulance service.

You may say that I am trying to condemn Malaysia again and praising Singapore because I am now residing here. But when I was running the KL SC Marathon and Singapore SC Marathon, I was still residing in Malaysia… same sponsor, same organiser… a whole world of a difference. Why?

Deep down, if we are honest with ourselves, we know the problem is not just poor organising. It’s much deeper than that. If you fail to see that, then you are really intoxicated with nasi-lemak, char-kuey-teow and bak-kut-teh.

Lim – may you rest in peace.


2 years ago… The ‘jip san leong’ act

3 years ago… What’s your answer?… When the ‘if’ turns real

The story of Helen, who’s only the mother

Perhaps it’s the drive to achieve equality, perhaps it’s the desire to prove that women are as good, if not better as men… Career driven women are everywhere these days. Helen is one of them.

Rose from rank to rank, always given the recognition in her workplace, a legion of staff under her command… Helen was the epitome of a successful female corporate figure. If you thinking that Helen is single and lonely, then you’re wrong. Helen is married with 2 children. Her husband, just like her, is also a very career driven person.

Under such circumstances, the children were well provided for. Material gifts are aplenty; and just like many working parents in Malaysia, a maid is a must.

Of course, there is no perfect picture in this world. Something has got to give. And in this scenario, all the signs point to the one and only sad truth… the children were often ignored. Helen seldom gets to see her kids. When she reached home after a hard day work, she is either too tired to entertain her children or the children were already asleep.

While Helen was busy working and building her career, maid did the rest… cooked, sent the children to school, picked them up, sent them to the doctor when they were sick, did all the laundry, etc. etc.

This went on for years………

Then, came a time where the maid needed to return home for a few months as one of her family member was not well. Helen, being a good employer, allowed her to go.

On the day the maid left, the children cried non-stop…

“I don’t want mommy to go” the children said.
“What? I am your mommy! Kakak is not your mommy!” Helen screamed!
“No, kakak is our mommy. You’re only our mother”

That was the loudest wake-up call Helen has ever gotten in her life.

Are you the “mommy”?... Or the “mother”?

P/S: Kakak = the Malay word for “sister”


1 year ago… Maundy Thursday

2 years ago… Chronicles of vol-ass-no eruptions

3 years ago… An out of this world experience… Prioritise life

Elimination of poverty is a myth

Every noble organisations talk about it, and every governments trying to boost profile or enhance propaganda talk about it. But will it be reality? Do they really want that to happen?

I think it’s all a load of bullshit.

The fuel that keeps the world turning is called money. Money makes the world go round. The rich and the poor, the have(s) and have not(s) form the very core of our human community. It shaped and continues to shape our civilisation. That’s how we function.

Without poverty, who is going tap rubber so that your cars have tyres to run on?

Without poverty, who is going to be factory workers building cheap electronics in China for you to use?

Without poverty, who is going to do your foot massage?

Who is going to be your garbage collector?

Who is going to work under the hot blazing sun building roads that you drive on?

Who is going to work under the hot blazing sun building houses that you live in?

Who is going to be your maid?

Who is going to work under the hot blazing sun harvesting oil palm fruits so that there will be oil to cook your nasi-lemak, char-kuey-teow and bak-kut-teh?

Who is going to clean the dirty sewerage, filled with your “digested” nasi-lemak, char-kuey-teow and bak-kut-teh?

Without poverty, who is going to risk their lives to mine poisonous minerals in order to build the computer that you are using right now to read this?

Who? Do I need to ask more questions?

The truth is, the whole world will collapse without poverty. Equality in wealth will result in a halt in the human operating system. In fact, we do not need to look at those in poverty to see the ugliness of human wealth hierarchy.

Look around (or in the mirror)… for a few thousand RM (or a few hundred USD), people will work hard and diligently work overtime without a noise, people will betray their dignity to work for their company. These people are not even poor, they are just not rich enough.

I am not saying that people should be kept poor, certainly not. I am just saying that the truth is ugly, and that elimination of poverty is a myth. It will never be achieved not because it is not unachievable.

It will never be achieved because the rich will never allow it.


3 years ago… Chef of the day

Perception

I know it is not original to post forwarded stuff but this is by far one of the best I have ever read amongst all the forwards that I receive on a daily basis… strongly encourage you to read it…


Washington, DC Metro Station – a cold January morning in 2007. The man with a violin played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time approx. 2 thousand people went through the station, most of them on their way to work. After 3 minutes a middle- aged man noticed there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds and then hurried to meet his schedule.

4 minutes later……… The violinist received his first dollar: a woman threw the money in the hat and, without stopping, continued to walk.

6 minutes……… A young man leaned against the wall to listen to him, then looked at his watch and started to walk again.

10 minutes……… A 3-year old boy stopped but his mother tugged him along hurriedly. The kid stopped to look at the violinist again, but the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk, turning his head all the time. Several other children repeated this action. Every parent, without exception, forced his or her children to move on quickly.

45 minutes……… The musician played continuously. Only 6 people stopped and listened for a short while. About 20 gave money but continued to walk at their normal pace. The man collected a total of $32.

1 hour……… He finished playing and silence took over. No one noticed. No one applauded, nor was there any recognition…

No one knew this, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the greatest musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, with a violin worth $3.5 million dollars. Two days before Joshua Bell sold out a theatre in Boston where the seats averaged $100.

This is a true story. Joshua Bell playing incognito in the metro station was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and people's priorities.

The questions raised:

In a commonplace environment at an inappropriate hour, do we perceive beauty?

Do we stop to appreciate it?

Do we recognize talent in an unexpected context?

One possible conclusion reached from this experiment could be this:

If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world, playing some of the finest music ever written, with one of the most beautiful instruments ever made…

How many other things are we missing?


Zewt:- Astonishingly brilliant and yet realistically sad, isn’t it?


1 year ago… One that has gone extinct

2 years ago… Are you prepared?

3 years ago… Chinese A… B… C…

Not a very good feeling

Last year was a transitional year so I was only asked to give my view. It did have some level of influence but nothing compared to this year. This year though, the decision depends solely on me. Certainly, whatever that I decide upon is still subject to levelling and approval, but I make the initial recommendation.

I had, in my first job, provided evaluation on junior staff. But that was very different. Back then, I only need to provide a rating. The rating I gave was combined with ratings of other “seniors” and the rest is up to the big bosses.

In my current position; I, me and myself will decide on the rating of those reporting to me. It does not end there. I, me and myself will then have to recommend promotion (should I want to), increment (should I want to) and also decide on their… bonus…

I will not deny it. It does feel powerful to have the fate of people’s career and financial rewards in your hands. Surely, it is a boost to one’s ego.

But I will have to say, it is not an easy position to be in.

It’s not easy to decide that someone’s performance is just not good enough. It’s not easy to decide that someone should be rewarded more than someone else. It’s not exactly glamour either, to deny someone a promotion. It is such time, that I truly see the clearest reflection of modern slavery.

But as slave of the modern world myself, I have to make a decision that reflects my judgement and my credibility. These decisions that I made, may be at the expense of fellow modern slaves.

And that… is not a very good feeling…


2 years ago… Professional mistake level 2… A quick pick

3 years ago… They said “It’s just a number”

That car sticker that got me thinking

I was driving around the other day and I saw this car sticker which states “I love Allah”.

As most of you are aware, Christians in this country are currently wrestling with the “authorities” in court on the usage of Allah in the Malay-language bible and other Christian publications.

The “authorities” are prohibiting Christians to use the word “Allah” as they claim that the usage of “Allah” will confuse the Muslims while the Christians are arguing that “Allah” simply means God and hence, should not be prohibited from using the word.

The encounter with that car sticker got me thinking… Will we Christians put up the “I-love-Allah” car sticker in our cars? After all, we claim that it simply means “God”.

No Christians have answered yes to my question.

P/S: The driver of the car which bear that sticker was not a Christian.


1 year ago… The annual corporate battle

Read?

I stumbled upon his writings some time last year when a close friend of mine forwarded me one of his articles. It was a very long read but I was left speechless for a while after reading it. The things he write will really make you think. I am referring to Johann Hari, a British journalist.

I chanced upon another article of his today. It talked about a city which we have heard about it over the news many times. But the article shed a whole light on it. It certainly did for me. Certain parts may be a little dry but there is eye opening knowledge everywhere around the article. It’s stupendous.

If you are into more knowledge, a different perspective of things, an enlightening moment and what I believe is a very good read, I invite you to go pay a visit.

But if you are browsing through the blogosphere just looking for laughs and not interested to know about the reality of life and do not intend to further your horizon (which is perfectly fine by the way), don’t bother.

1 year ago… When one has yet to earn

2 years ago… One for the girls

How were times before e?

136… that’s the amount of e-mails I have when I opened my inbox at work this morning, after taking last Friday off. Taking away personal mails, the number came to about 131. It took me almost half a day to clear all of them.

I am sure most of you will agree that working life nowadays evolve around answering e-mails. As I was clearing my inbox and answering some of the so called “urgent” e-mails, I wondered… how was working life like before the days of e-mails?

On any given day, there will be a few mails coming in at the same time inquiring about different situations which require my advice. And in a typical corporate scenario, these inquiries demand immediate reply. And it’s not any ordinary reply. It requires thinking and sometimes, some level of research.

How are these done before the time of e-mails? Through telephone? If it’s through phone, at least you will be engaged on one line if there are 2 inquiries coming in. But with e-mails, you can have up to 10 inquiries in an hour.

And inquiries are the light stuff. It can be agreements, contracts or any form of documents being sent over which require my review and comments. And as usual, everything is urgent. If you take more than a week to reply, it means that you are slow.

Without a doubt, the existence of e-mails has accelerated the pace at which we work. We are now required to provide answers, provide comments, review documents and meet all other unreasonable demands at light speed. It’s really crazy.

One can say that we have become more efficient. But I just think we have been made to work like robots. I really do wonder, how was it like during the times before e-mails came into the picture.


2 years ago… Turning your eyes from oil to ferry… From shitty good news to gym and a penis song

Modern slavery anniversary reflection

Warning: Rather long read ahead…

I entered the modern slavery world exactly 9 years ago today. 3 years ago, on the exact same date, I joined my current company. Quite a unique incident, isn’t it?

I didn’t spend 6 years with my first employer though. I spent 5 years there, a time when I witnessed the collapsed of a major accounting firm which followed by a merger. Thereafter, I had a short stint in China and a 6 months break where I watched all world cup matches on that year before joining the company I am currently with.

Today marks the completion of my 9th year as a modern slave and due to the unique coincident, today also marks the completion of my 3rd year with my current employer. It has been a journey of many ups and downs, filled with extreme eye openers and a time where I was forced to feast on the hideous realities of the working life.

Overall, it has been an incredible learning experience…

I would term my initial 5 working years as a “Corporate Symbiosis” --- the company got me to work almost non-stop for a meagre salary while I ride on them to build my knowledge and experience reserves and finally able to put this so called “professional firm” in my CV. You scratch my back, I scratch yours kind of thing.

The collapsed of the company (some of you could guess which company is this already) and subsequently, a merger was my first eye opener to the reality of the corporate world. People being forced out, heavy dose of office politics, power struggle, people flexing their muscles in their territories… survival was the name of the game.

I still remember some antics of my ex colleagues during the first few weeks of the merger. It was really like a civil war. The battleground… pantry! It was a race to see who “conquers” the pantry first during lunch. Looking back, it was all so silly and to a certain extent… entertaining!

The decision to leave after 5 years was not easy, as I have already developed a comfort zone. Besides, I was resigning for the first time, from my first job, a lot of uncertainties. But it was something I had to do. My time as a cheap labour was over.

I then spent a short time in China earning USD, which then allowed me to spend 6 months as a leong-dei-goon (unemployed). I shall blog about this separately. It was another great eye opening experience.

There are many things that I do not like and do not agree with in the place I currently work in. However, this place has given me the platform to truly expand my career. Being part of an international conglomerate, I am able to see many things from an international perspective. One thing in particular, Malaysia is always viewed as a dumping ground… I shall let you interpret that yourself.

Being promoted to a level where I had to recruit an additional person for my team also gave me the opportunity to conduct interviews and… a quite fun experience…going through CVs. I find it absolutely astonishing that people can submit their CVs for managerial position in an international corporation with atrocious English. Do they seriously expect to get an interview?

Also, I was very surprise at the level of salary people are getting. I thought it was only applicable in my industry but after exchanging information with some of my friends within the human-resource industry, I found out that if you are earning above RM6,000 a month; you should be counting your blessings. It is a sad reflection of this country’s economic health.

The slavery and exploitation are still there, and they will always be there. Just that it is a bit toned down here. Despite all that, I must extend my gratitude to my current employer. Last year during the peak of my health scare, the company paid for it. Specialist consultations, x-rays, ultrasound scans, scope, CT scan, MRI, tests after tests… all in a private medical centre and I did not fork out a single cent.

Though I am thankful, I still believe that one should never fall in love in one’s company. A line should always be drawn between you and the company. Even if you don’t draw it, the line is already there; drawn by the company without your knowledge. And when the line is finally revealed to you, the situation is often brutal.

This is why I never refer to my employer as “my company”. Firstly, I don’t own it. But the more pertinent reason is because I am painfully aware of the fact that companies hide things from their employees. There will always be a servant and master relationship in the corporate world. Hence, it is not “my company”. I only refer to it as the-company-I-work-in, or something along that line.

Last but not least, let me conclude the reflection of my 9 years in the modern slavery corporate world with 3 points:-

Telling you boss that you are happy with your salary is the most stupid thing that you can ever say to your boss. Do note that I am speaking both as an employee and a boss. Be ready to kiss your increment goodbye if you do that. A simple smile, or a short yeah-it’s-ok should suffice when being asked about your satisfaction level towards your pay. The same goes to displaying your love towards your work.

Being good at your work will get you noticed. Getting things done will help you climb the ladder. But to really reach the top, the skill required is to get others who are good at their work to get things done for you. That is the formula to success. In short, one must make others slave for you to move up the slave food chain.

The saying “The head you step today may be the ass that you need kiss tomorrow” is viciously real. Fortunately though, I learned this notion in a pleasant manner as I am now the ass that needs to be kissed. I guess now, I have to be careful on the people I step on. Or, best not to step on anyone at all.

P/S: A lot of people asked me about the difference between working in a “professional firm” vs. working in a “commercial firm”. I suppose there will be another trilogy ahead…


1 year ago… Different breed, different reaction… Japan got hit

2 years ago… Let us be reminded… The price to drive

Can you interpret The Sculpture?

When I was doing English Literature in school, I remember my teacher once said that a good poem is one that means different thing to different reader but yet, have a special meaning in the eyes of the poet. Do you agree?

I have put this up before I think it’s worthy for a second appearance. Till today, I still think this is my best piece yet. And in trying to be a poet, I am wondering… how would you all interpret this…

THE SCULPTURE

From the ground
That’s where it was first picked up
Clay, made from dust
Something so dirty, most times unwanted
Unaware of its worth

With water, clay was softened
First step towards transformation
The hands provided the effort
From the heart… love and patience
Clay and hands, oh what passion

From mere dust to a masterpiece
Greatness, many perceived
So stood the sculpture for the complete years
That’s when the legacy ended
If only it was avoided

The hands that made it all
Same hands that made it fall
From once placed so high
It was thrown right to the ground
Some parts lost… and never found

A year after, for what was ever after … (supposedly)
The sculpture, the hands miss
Thus they were picked up piece by piece
But some were lost
It was a lost cause

Tried he did with what’s left
The hands did their best
But the clay was no longer the same
Some pieces were missing
Sigh… certainly pointless in pursuing

Passion not faded, but hands were tired
Hurt… from the cuts, those sharp pieces made
Fiasco it is, finally came to term
It was after all, the right judgement
What’s left… only reminiscence

Zewt
14 Oct 2004
5.52pm

So what is “The Sculpture” to you?


1 year ago… Remembering Valentine

2 years ago… Ecologically yours… The spoon and the cat

Migration: A case of running from something, or running towards something

Warning: Relatively long read…

I have always wanted to blog about this topic but somehow, never got around writing it. However, after such an eventful week, I guess the time is right to finally pen my thoughts.

Migration, moving to what is perceived as the greener pasture, is a dream to some. But at the same time, it has its fair share of critics. And, it also boasts of a relatively worrying amount of “failed attempts”, forcing some to return to their original country with less money, and wasted time. It is a daunting thought.

In my zewtpinion (wow, it has a long time since I said that), one has to objectively establish one’s true intention in making this leap of faith. To really see whether migrating is a wise or foolish decision, one has to ascertain whether one is running from something, or one is running towards something.

Impartially speaking, the critics are right. No one can confidently say that one will definitely be stepping foot on “greener” pasture. “That country is also racist”… “You will be a second-class citizen there”… “You think they don’t have such problem there?”… such are the usual rhetoric. In all honestly, they are absolutely true.

Hence, here is where I am of the zewtpinion that if you are migrating to run away from something, be it racism, marginalisation, corruption, inequality or outright brutality, then you are most probably going to hit a hard wall. These evil realities of our human race are everywhere. Perhaps the magnitude may not be as high, but they will be there nonetheless.

Therefore, if you are leaving this country simply because you want to run away from “things happening here” (I do not need to list them, I am sure you know what are they); your migration plan will most probably fail. And a typical Malaysian critic will deem that you will also be running away from the wonderful nasi-lemak, char-kuey-teow, bak-kut-teh, mamak, etc. as if those things are the elixirs of life.

As such, the running-away route should not be your approach if you want to migrate. Instead, you should clearly establish what you are running towards, clearly identifying what are the things that you are seeking in the country you want to step foot on. And this is how I approach my migration plan.

Most of you already know which country I plan to move to. While I may not entirely run away from the ruckus that is happening here, I know I will be able to find the things that I seek in that land. And the things that I seek include…

People and govt work hand in hand for the preservation of the environment.
A police force that I can trust.
A public medical service (though slow), that I can trust.
Measures or projects implemented by the govt that actually work.
Qualified and accountable ministers, where a slight indication of any mistakes or abuse of power, the minister will most probably resign.
Very much less pressure to save like hell for my children’s education.
With good grades, entry into world class university for my children is almost guaranteed.
Fresher and cleaner air most of the time.
At 6 p.m. on a weekday, chances are my boss will ask me to go home instead of asking me to attend a meeting… which will be held at 7pm.
Confidence in public administration and almost everything else --- this is a very interesting point and will be explained greatly in another post.
Newly added – knowing that the sanctity of my religion will not be ridiculed.

If I am to sit down and think further, I will probably add more to the list. But I guess you know where I am getting at. In effect, you should not be migrating to run away from problems. Rather, you should migrate to seek for solution. And to achieve this, one must then exercise discernment as to where one wants to migrate. One should be certain that one will be able to find what you are seeking in the land you are going to step foot in.

There are however, some cases where people move to another country to run away from unhealthy emotional attachment or unpleasant emotional memories. Perhaps in those situations, such running-away acts may be justifiable. But that is not the notion here. And even that, such may also be cases of people seeking better memories.

And no doubt, there are other factors to consider such as availability of jobs and genuine inability to adapt, which is indeed, very real. And that is probably why I am still here, the issue on availability of jobs. But once one has addressed this issue, one can then do a running from vs. running to reflection.

In all honestly, there are some elements of “running-away” in my case, but not because of what is happening now but rather of what I think could happen in the future. This is a result of knowing too many things, things that I can't really share. Perhaps that is a story for another day.

Last but not least; yes, you will forever be a second-class citizen. But I would rather be a second-class citizen in a place where I can enjoy most, if not all of the public benefits; than to be a first class citizen here and… well, let just not go there…


1 year ago… We just can’t do it

Disparities Insanities Inhumanities

Disparity is when one eats at a coffee shop while the other eats at a posh restaurant.
Insanity is when many cannot afford to fine-dine ever in the lives while for a few, they eat nothing else but fine-dine.
Inhumanity is when millions are starving and hoping to get USD5 to feed themselves in a week while there are some who can spend thousands of USD just for a spoonful of caviar.

Disparity is when one drives a Honda while the other drives a BMW.
Insanity is when many can only afford a motorbike while a family of 5 can have up to 10 cars at home.
Inhumanity is when 45% of the world population will die without having to see what a car is while there are people who purchase not one but a few Porsches even before they got their driving licence.

Disparity is when one uses a simple hand-phone while the other uses a Blackberry / iPhone.
Insanity is when many could not afford a hand-phone while some can have absolutely no feeling when they lose their hand-phones.
Inhumanity is when 70% of the world population have not heard how a “dialing tone” sounds like while some changes hand-phone at every other new model release.

Disparity is when one wears a normal cap while the other wears a Nike cap.
Insanity is when many are paid USD5 a week to make Nike caps while a handful of individuals are paid millions just to wear it.
Inhumanity is when those who make the caps and needed USD5 to survive are retrenched in bad times while those few who are paid millions to wear it got their contract renewed.

Disparity is when your diamond ring is 0.25 carat while your friend’s is more than 1 carat.
Insanity is when millions will never have a chance to own a diamond ring while some complain that their diamond is too small.
Inhumanity is when thousands die while mining diamonds in Africa everyday while some insist on getting more diamonds despite knowing that people are dying mining it.

Disparity is when your kid plays marbles while the other kid plays with a Sony PSP.
Insanity is when millions of kids will grow up without knowing what a PSP is while others shower their kids with PSP, Nintendo Wii, iPod, iPhone, control cars, etc., etc.
Inhumanity is when thousands of kids get killed mining “Coltan” so that other kids around the world can kill monsters and aliens by pressing buttons. Coltan is a very essential component in making electrical products such as PSP and handphones.

Disparity is when you have a low pay job while other has a high pay job.
Insanity is when thousands of those with low pay jobs and needed that low pay just to survive are retrenched during bad times while those few with high pay jobs who probably only needed 5% of their pay to survive get a 5% pay cut.
Inhumanity is when tens of thousands of those with low pay jobs who didn’t get retrenched are made to sympathise the minority with high pay jobs who got a 5% pay cut.

Where are we?


1 year ago… From tension to happ’y’ness

A thought while terminating

I watched Terminator Salvation last Friday. Oh no, this is not a movie review type of post. I don’t think I want to go down the movie critic route. Would rather go down the movie-audience critic path though this post isn’t exactly that either.

Ya’ know, it can be quite cool for some to be fighting machines in funky looking guns and travelling around in hi-tech planes. To the adventurous, fighting machines would certainly be quite an experience. Certainly, many would not enjoy the limited food and constant death that comes with it. And… did I mention no time to laze around and surf the net?

But amidst all that, a thought came to me…

I would imagine that if scenario like Terminator Salvation becomes a reality, it would also be a time where we will see each other in a totally different light.

It would be time where regardless of whether you are educated, illiterate, superbly gifted or hopelessly talent-less, so long as you are willing to fight, you will be taken in as comrades. And since survival depends on the fight, you will most probably… fight.

It would be a time where regardless of whether you look like a hunk (for guys) or like a supermodel (for girls), you are only as good as your courage to hold a gun to face the machines.

It would be a time where regardless of whether you are rich or poor, food will be made available to you because generally, no one wants you dead. Having you alive means an additional man to fight.

It would be a time where regardless of whether you are rich or poor, medical assistance will be given to you because, again, generally no one wants you dead for quite the same reason mentioned above.

It would be a time where regardless of whether you are American, European, Japanese, Chinese, Malays or Indians, you will always be seen as a compatriot, a fellow human, fighting for survival.

But of course, we don’t have Skynet and machines killing us so… we will continue to live our lives according to our differences.


1 year ago… Ask before you hump

2 years ago… What they’ll do to say I do… You are the reason… The block resulted in 3 laws

Am I being overly subtle?

I have always derived much pleasure from subtle writing, instances where I am able to hide my message within a vanilla piece of writing. Someone commented that it’s like “Gak san dau ngau”, directly translated as “mountain blocked bull fight”. It means the real issue concealed behind a façade. Gak-san-dau-ngau then implies that you must see beyond the mountain in order to see the bull fight, i.e. the real issue.

Regrettably, I am beginning to wonder whether I am being overly subtle. I wonder if I am putting up a mountain so big, that the enticement of the bull fight is overlooked. Or perhaps people would rather see the beautiful scenery of the mountain, than to indulge in a bloody bull fight.

See, the above two paragraph are akin to putting up mountain already… I seriously need to be more direct…

So yeah, The Jacke Story I put up yesterday was not about money or people being lavish by having 3 maids or medical check up being important. It’s about whether you think like Jacke, believing that you can entirely distant yourself from the ruckus.

What ruckus? Well, you should read The Jacke Story. I cannot be removing the mountain entirely.


2 years ago… Speaking from the other side… Things can be spiritual

The Jacke story

Jacke was someone who just wants to live his own life. Just like many others, he was not interested in politics. Even the simple task of casting vote was meaningless to him. “I don’t care, it just doesn’t concern me” was his usual response.

And no one can really blame him. Jacke worked hard and has truly established himself. He was drawing a very comfortable salary, married to a wonderful wife and blessed with 2 kids. He was oblivious to happenings around him as he thought he will be able to solve all the problems with his financial prowess.

Lack of quality in national schools was not a concern as he can afford to send his kids to private school. Poor medical service at national hospitals was not a concern as he can afford private medical care. Poor quality in tertiary education or even restricted opportunity to enter local tertiary education was not a concern; his children will enter overseas universities. High crime rate was not a concern as he can afford sophisticated security systems and even a few bodyguards.

As the saying goes… if a problem can be solved by money, it’s not a problem. And since Jacke has enough money -- What’s the problem? So no, all the social and political stuff is of no interest to Jacke.

In fact, Jacke even took advantage of the poor governance in the system. Jacke had with him not one, not two, but three maids! As some of you may know, one family is only allowed 1 maid. But that problem was conveniently solved with money. 1 for the wife, and the others for each of Jacke’s children.

Life was bliss, who cares about the ruckus of politics and deteriorating condition all over? Really?

Due to a certain requirement for something Jacke was applying, his family was asked to undergo medical examination. Imagine the horror of Jacke’s face when the test showed one of his children was infected with “a deadly virus”, one which is without cure.

Detailed investigation showed that everyone is the family is clean except for the poor child. How can that be? It was then that Jacke asked 3 of his maids to undergo medical as well. Lo and behold, the very same maid who looks after that poor child has that deadly virus.

How did the maid contract the virus? She has a clean medical certification from the authorities as provided by the maid agency. She was relatively new and was never let out of the house. How did it happen?

As money can solve a lot of problems for Jacke, money can also help Jacke discover how the problem came about. Using a lot of money, Jacke found out that the maid agency he engaged never sent the maids for medical certification.

How did the maid obtain a clean medical certificate?... a combination of corruption plus poor governance. How so?... because those in authority are corrupted. How so?... because those in politics put them there. How come such people are allowed to be in politics?... because we have people like Jacke.

Jacke thought he can always stay away from the ruckus and as long as he has money, he will never suffer the consequences of a poor administration. He learned it the hard way. Now, Jacke’s son will probably only live to see Jacke cast his vote in 2 elections.

P/S: Seriously, send your maid your medical check up. Better be safe than sorry.


1 year ago… A familiar pub notice… A note to Mom on a special day

2 years ago… As mourning period ends… Lessons from death